6/8/08 Philly, Johnny Brenda’s

06142008

Philly has always been a good hang. It’s a town full of history and culture, and it’s haunted. We sat down and enjoyed a relaxing meal downstairs in the venue’s restaurant, conversing and laughing. Between dinner and the show, I took a walk around the streets surrounding the club. The sunset was beautiful and the air smelled like clean laundry and grandma’s cooking and flowers and garbage with each turn, something different and I was feeling the humidity and like a human being. I thought about songs and my family and tube amplifiers and sparrows and the dangers of driving with a trailer and of how to cook the perfect meal. It was a really good walk.

Back at the venue we set up on a fairly small stage and our sound guy Mickey (of The Lilys and Mazaran) set us up for one of the best sounding shows I’ve ever played. He mixed us perfectly, turning what was happening on stage, into a swirling, psychedelic magic show. It was such a great experience and we were very grateful for it. After the show, we stayed and watched part of The Young Knives’ set. They were great and really funny dudes on stage. We thanked our kind hosts, said our goodbyes to fellow musicians and piled into the van for a post show drive to Maryland.

We awoke in Baltimore where it hit triple digits and the humidity was unbearable. We stayed the night at Joel’s friends house. Gerard and Dena are amazing hosts who provided yet another sweet stay on the road. When we walked outside to say our goodbyes, we were instantly covered in sweat and the air was thick.